1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention is generally related to a device for stabilizing an air pump relative to an inflatable member and is specifically directed to an apparatus for stabilizing the air pump relative to a ball or the like for assuring that the needle is not bent or broken-off in the ball orifice.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hand held air pumps are well known for inflatable balls such as footballs, basketballs, soccer balls, volley balls and the like, generally referred to as inflatable sport balls herein. Typically, the air pump includes an outer hollow cylinder with opposite closed ends. One end is adapted for mounting an inflation needle which is a narrow, hollow tube with a hole at each end, one end of which is adapted to be mounted on the pump cylinder and the other end of which is adapted to be inserted into a receptive orifice in the inflatable sport ball. The opposite end of the pump handle also includes an opening for receiving an elongated plunger. A pump piston is mounted inside the cylinder on one end of the plunger. A handle is mounted on the other end of the plunger, whereby pumping the handle in and out of the cylinder causes the piston to pump air into the needle and through the needle into the inflatable sport ball.
One of the problems with this device is that it is generally required that the user place one hand on the cylinder and the other hand on the handle in order to pump air into the ball. This permits the ball to move relative to the needle, often bending the needle, or worse, breaking the needle off inside the ball. This problem has damaged many needles beyond use and at times has ruined an otherwise perfectly serviceable inflatable sport ball.
Even with other inflation devices available, such as power compressors and the like, the cylinder-type, hand-held sport ball inflation pump continues in wide spread use today. The cylinder pump is inexpensive, portable and because of its design, provides assurance that the ball will not be quickly overinflated and ruined, as is often the case with power compressors and the like. Therefore, even with the drawbacks of the current cylinder-type inflation pump, it continues to be the inflation pump of choice for inflating low-volume, low-pressure sporting equipment.